Sheet metal nut with sealer escapement means



June 16, 1964 B. s. STAWINSKI 3,137,196

SHEET METAL NUT WITH SEALER ESCAPEMENT MEANS Filed Aug. 26, 1960INVENTOR.

gay/Q2222 Sikwzivsh United States Patent 7 3,137,196 SHEET METAL NUTWITH SEALER ESCAPEMENT MEANS Benjamin S. Stawinski, Southfield, Mich.,assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation ofDelaware Filed Aug. 26, 1960, Ser. No. 52,201

1 Claim. (Cl. 85-32) This invention relates to fastening installationsand more particularly'to a fastening installation utilizing a nut havinga washer extending therefrom and a sealing material disposed between thewasher and the parts to be joined. V V

In securing parts together it is often desirable to make use of nuts andthreaded'or unthreaded studs, such nuts being of the sheet metal or theusual solid type. In many installations, such as in automotivemanufacture, it is desirable to secure'two or more panels together, orto secure an object to a panel, in such a manner as to prevent the entryof'dirt, water and other foreign materials through the necessarystudreceiving apertures in the panels and to prevent the exposure of thepanels to water or the like, leading to rust, corrosion and an unsightlyappearance. In order to accomplish this result it is generally known toprovide a sealing material between a combination nut and washer and thesupporting panel in such a manner as to completely surround the aperturein the supporting panel by the sealing material.

One common form of installation is to utilize a nut and washercombination and a slab of, sealing material disposed between the nut andthe supporting panel. The commonly used nut is formed of sheet metal andis provided with an integral circular skirt or washer extending radiallyoutwardly and downwardly from the bottom of the nut portion. Anothertype is a common solid nut with a skirt or washer secured thereto insome suitable manner. The amount of sealing material is sufficient tocompletely fill the nut and washer combination and to surround theaperture in the supporting panel. Numerous problems result from thistype of installation. The main disadvantage is that the sealing materialresists the force of the sheet metal nut and washer combination as it isadvanced along the stud, causing either a false torque reading on theusual torque wrench, or causing the nut to strip the threads on thestud. If the nut is of the sheet metal type having a thread cutting orthread forming impression, and the stud with which the nut assembly isused is an unthreaded stud, there is a tendency to form a concentricring in the stud by the thread forming or thread cutting impressionrather than to form a helical thread along the shank of the stud.Obviously, this would prevent any movement or advancement of the nutalong the stud in the direction of the supporting panel.

The device in which this invention is embodied comprises a nut andwasher combination suitable for use in securing panels or objects topanels with a sealing material disposed therebetween. Suitable means areprovided to permit the escape of excess sealing material as the nut andwasher combination is advanced along the stud, relieving the pressure ofthe sealing material and preventing the aforementioned resistance to thetightening of the nut. Only the excess amount of sealer is permitted toescape, thus assuring a sealed installation to prevent the formation ofrust and corrosion about the aperture in the supporting panel.

This device comprises generally a nut having a fluted skirt or washerextending outwardly therefrom and with sealer escapement ports formed bythe raised portions of the flutes in the skirt or washer to permit theescape of sealing material.

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These and other objects and advantages may become more apparent from thefollowing description and drawings, in which: f

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a nut and stud installation withparts broken away and in section to illustrate the positions of thevarious parts; 1

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the installation illustrated in FIGURE 1showing the position of the various parts; and

FIGURE 3 is an isometric view of the nut and washer combinationillustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2. 1

Referring more particularly to the drawings, FIGURES 1 and 2 bestillustrate the fastener installation. For ease in description twosupporting panels 10 and 12 are shown secured together by means of astud, illustrated generally by the numeral 14 and a sheet metal nut andwasher combination, illustrated generally by the numeral 16. Panels 10and 12 are provided, with suitable apertures 18 and 20, respectively,through which the shank 22 of stud 14 is received. Stud 14 is providedwith an enlarged head 24 which may have a suitable groove or opening 26to permit the use of 'a" screwdriver, or like tool, in the assembly ofthe installation. Stud 14 may be threaded or unthreaded in its originalcondition, depending on the type of nut and washer combination utilizedin the instal lation. For ease in description, FIGURES 1 and 2illustrate an unthreaded stud.

The nut and washer combination, illustrated generally by the numeral 16,is shown to be of the sheet metal type having an upper nut portion 28and a skirt or washer 30 extending radially outwardly from the bottom ofthe nut portion 18. Disposed between the nut portion 18 and thesupporting panel 12 is a suitable sealer material 32 which seals theapertures 18 and 20 in the supporting panels 10 and 12 and about theshank 22 of the stud 14.

Referring to FIGURE 3, the nut and washer assembly 16 is bestillustrated. This shows a sheet metal nut having an upper surface 34with a thread forming impression 36 formed therein. The impression 36may be of any suitable type and may form the threads in the stud eitherby actually removing material and cutting a groove as the thread isformed, or by merely deforming the surface of the stud to provide athread.

A plurality of side walls 38 extend downwardly from the upper surface 34and in such a manner as to provide a polygonal shape to receive astandard wrench or the like, utilized with the nut and washercombination.

Extending from the lower edges of the side walls 38 is the skirt orwasher portion 30 which extends radially outwardly from the nut portion18. The skirt or washer is formed of a plurality of flutes, giving ascalloped effect to the outer edge of the washer. Alternate raisedportions 40 and depressed portions 42 provide openings between thesurface of the supporting panel 12 and the under surface of the exposededge of the washer 30, as illustrated at 44 in FIGURE 1. It may be seenthat these openings permit the escape of excess sealing material fromunder the nut and washer combination as the pressure of the sealingmaterial is built up therebeneath.

The installation of the nut and washer combination on the stud isrelatively simple. The stud is first placed in the apertures 18 and 20in the supporting panels and the nut and washer combination 16 with thesealing material 32 disposed therein is placed over the reduced portion46 of the stud 14. The sealing material may be provided with an aperturefor ease in passage over the stud, but this is not essential. The nutand washer combination 16 is then rotated by any suitable means to forma thread 48 in the shank 22 of the stud 14. This causes the nut andwasher combination 16 to advance along the shank 22 in the direction ofthe supporting panels 10 and 12.

to the supporting panels 10 and 12, the sealing material will havecompletely filled any voids in and around the apertures 18 and 20 in thesupporting panels and close the openings 40 formed by the flutes in thewasher portion 30. This will provide a fluid tight and dirt tightinstallation and a secure fastening of the' two panels 10 and 12together.

The edge 50 of the skirt or washer 30 at the depressions 42 is angularlydisposedwith respect to the support ing panel and serves to cut off theexcess sealer material that has exuded from under the nut and washercombination. This leaves a more sightly installation.

Thus, a fastening installation is provided which permits eflicientsealing of the apertures in the parts to be joined and still provides aneflicient and positive securement of the parts together.

What is claimed is:

A one piece sheet metal nut for use with a stud and a support, said nutcomprising: an upper wall having a stud receiving and engagingimpression including thread means formed therein and adapted to receiveand retain said stud; a plurality of contiguous side walls extendingsubstantially perpendicular from said upper wall and forming with saidupper wall a polygonal hollow body;

a continuous washer extending radially outwardly from and substantiallyperpendicular to said side walls, said washer consisting of alternatelyraised and depressed curved flutes extending radially from said sidewalls to the periphery of said washer throughout the entirecircumferential extent of said Washer sothat every cross section of saidwasher in the radial direction is of armately corrugated, configuration,said depressed flutes being inclined in a direction away from said upperWall, and a sealer material filling said hollow portions of said nutmember prior to installation, said depressed flutes being adapted toengage said support and said raised flutes being adapted 'to be spacedfrom said support when said nut is finally positioned with respect tosaid support to permit the escape of excess sealer material from saidhollow body.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,172,669 Caldwell Feb. 22, 1916 1,878,425 Olson Sept. 20, 19322,181,631 *Tinnerman Nov. 28, 1939 2,284,081 Beggs May 26, 19422,775,917 Ferguson Jan. 1, 1957 2,945,524 Becker July 19, 1960 3,086,421Hamman Apr. 23, 1963 OTHER REFERENCES Automotive Industries, vol. 115,page 141, Oct. 15, 1956.

